Man stabs estranged wife to death over child custody; held

Mumbai, Sep 27: A 36-year-old man allegedly stabbed his estranged wife to death in the eastern suburb of Chembur here, in a dispute over custody of their child, police said on Tuesday.

The police arrested the accused Iqbal Sheikh, a taxi driver, in the early hours of the day, an official from Tilak Nagar police station said.

Sheikh had allegedly called his wife Zara (20) to meet him on Monday morning to have a talk. But when the victim reached the spot, he attacked her multiple times with a sharp weapon and killed her on the spot, he said.

The couple had gotten married in 2019 and had a two-year-old child. The victim was seeking a divorce and the accused wanted the custody of the child, the official said.

The accused has been arrested under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and further probe is underway, he added.